Nothing of Importance
by Dragonfly-Moonlight
Summary: Secrets are revealed when Inuyasha becomes mysteriously ill and the brothers are reunited once more. But all isn't as it seems. Mental angst, depression, and hints of incest and child molestation and rape. DO NOT READ IF THIS OFFENDS YOU. A note added.
1. Segment 1

It was supposed to have been a peaceful walk. He'd told Rin and Jaken to wait for him by the stream while he took a few moments to collect his thoughts. That had been his intention, at least. He wouldn't go so far as to leave Rin completely defenseless – the scent of wolf was heavy in the area, and Rin still feared wolves – that he couldn't get to her in time, but still far enough to get a moment to himself. That had been his intention, at least . . . until Inuyasha showed up, running at a break-neck speed and panting, golden eyes flashing with a burning anger and hatred.

Sesshomaru gazed coolly at the hanyou before him, his hand resting on the hilt of Tokijin. So far, Inuyasha had yet to draw the Tetsusaiga, but that didn't mean he was going to be caught off-guard. His brother had a nasty habit of picking a fight with just about anyone. Then Sesshomaru took a closer look at his whelp of a brother. His eyes narrowed almost immediately. Sweat glistened on Inuyasha's forehead, but he detected no illness. Yet, there was something different about Inuyasha, something different in his eyes . . . something he couldn't quite place his finger on.

"What do you want, half-breed?" he inquired calmly and to the point. He was not one to beat around the bush to find out what he wanted. "Why are you here?"

"I . . ." Inuyasha faltered almost immediately, the anger and hatred disappearing quickly and pain registering on his half-brother's face. Pain from what, Sesshomaru couldn't tell. The scent of blood was absent, even as Inuyasha collapsed to his knees, tears spilling down his cheeks and his gaze averting itself. Sesshomaru stayed where he was, and watched. Finally, Inuyasha spoke again.

"I can't do this anymore. I just . . . I can't . . . I don't want to hurt anymore . . . I don't want to believe . . ."

"What are you talking about, half-breed?"

"You know what I'm talking about, Sesshomaru," came the whisper. "You were there. You knew what was going on."

"I do not," he stated coldly, turning to go. "If you have nothing useful to say then leave me be. I have no time for this."

"DON'T ACT LIKE YOU DON'T KNOW!" Inuyasha shouted, rising to his feet, and catching Sesshomaru's attention once more. "YOU WERE THERE! YOU WERE . . ." his voice then dropped, "the one who was responsible for everything that happened . . . after Mother died."

Sesshomaru's eyes flashed once then he was at Inuyasha's side, his hand around the hanyou's neck, and held him in the air, applying pressure. Hands wrapped around his wrist but did nothing to stop him. It was then he felt the heat coming off Inuyasha, could smell the fever that had started to consume his brother. He had weakened considerably and wouldn't be able to put up much of a fight. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at his sibling. To fight the hanyou in this condition wouldn't be much of a fight at all.

"You are ill, Inuyasha. You are a fool if you came here seeking a fight," he told him. "Go back to your wench."

He then let Inuyasha drop and started to walk away once more. The hanyou curled around himself, emitting a painful and lost sob. A sob that Sesshomaru couldn't ignore. Something in it reminded him of a time when he, too, had let out such a pitiful sound.

'But I had a reason to let out such a sound,' he thought bitterly, as memories he had fought to suppress struggled to the surface. 'And he was dead by the time I brought Inuyasha to live with me.'

Sesshomaru knelt next to his brother and carefully laid a hand on his shoulder. Even through the fire-rat clothing Inuyasha preferred to wear, Sesshomaru felt the heat coming off the hanyou. He frowned as he did so. If anything, Inuyasha felt _warmer_ than what he had when he'd first grabbed his brother.

"Inuyasha . . ." he murmured. The hanyou continued to sob, his body shuddering with each gulp of air he took. "Inuyasha . . ."

"Go away," came the weak whisper. "Just leave me alone."

Sesshomaru fought back a growl and the urge to beat Inuyasha senseless. First the hanyou had come here to confront him about some imagined offense and now he was being told to go away without so much as an explanation? He wasn't about to let Inuyasha get away with it that easily.

"No," he replied sternly. "Not until you tell me what it is that you _think_ I've done."

Inuyasha didn't answer. Instead, he lay there, crumpled up and sobbing, as if someone had broken his spirit. Sesshomaru waited as patiently as his temper would allow but still Inuyasha remained silent. Finally, he rose to his feet.

"Have it your way then," he stated calmly. "I care not. It would be nothing of importance to me anyway."

Sesshomaru strode away, back to where his retainers waited for him, and leaving his brother as a weeping mess on the forest floor.

"It never would," came the soft whisper. Sesshomaru paused then continued. His brother made no sense to him sometimes.


	2. Segment 2

'I shouldn't even be doing this. The half-breed _can_ take care of himself,' Sesshomaru told himself gruffly as he walked back to where he'd left Inuyasha. Uhn and Ah's reigns were in his hand as he walked while Jaken and Rin rode on his back, both of his retainers resting comfortably to the point of sleeping. He needed no rest but knew, and accepted, that his retainers did. And maybe it was better that they were resting. He didn't want to deal Jaken's indignation on his way to check on his hanyou brother, telling himself that it really wasn't out of concern, that something about the way the whelp had been acting had him feeling confused. It just needed some clarification, and it happened to be on their way away from the stream where Rin had done her fishing. The fact that the half-breed burned with a fever had nothing to do with it.

'He's probably left already,' Sesshomaru reasoned. 'I doubt he'd be _that_ foolish and stay somewhere where he could be killed.'

As he approached the clearing, a weak cough caught his attention, and immediately nixed the thought that Inuyasha had left. Squelching the concern that had risen in his chest, Sesshomaru let go of the two-headed dragonet's reigns and ran to his brother. The hanyou had not moved since he'd left him a few hours before. Sesshomaru knelt next to Inuyasha, a frown lighting his eyes.

If he'd thought it possible, he would have sworn that Inuyasha had gotten worse in the few hours he'd been away. His cheeks were flushed, his breathing harsh and heavy, and his skin was burning. Sesshomaru hadn't even touched him but he still felt the heat coming off the hanyou, as if he were in front of a campfire instead of his brother. With a resigned sigh, Sesshomaru grabbed the front of Inuyasha's haori, lifting him up. When he had Inuyasha in a sitting position, he quickly let go then caught his brother under his arm before the half-breed could hit the ground. He then eased Inuyasha on to his shoulder, noting with a growing alarm that Inuyasha remained limp, like a child's rag doll, and only emitted a single groan. Whatever had happened to him, it was obvious to Sesshomaru that the half-breed's human friends would be useless in helping him to recover.

'Don't know I'm bothering,' he scowled as he hefted Inuyasha on to his shoulder. 'He's always been an ungrateful whelp. I should have left him with his human family . . .' Then he shook his head of that thought. 'No . . . I couldn't . . . he'd have died for certain if I'd allowed him to stay with them. I couldn't have left him there . . . not to die . . .'

Sesshomaru strode back to Uhn and Ah. He had a sick hanyou to take care of. He wasn't about to trust a bunch of mere humans to care for his last living relative. The half-breed was the only one he encountered who could put up a more than halfway decent fight, after all.

'You better appreciate what I'm doing for you _this_ time, Inuyasha,' he thought darkly as he lay the hanyou across Uhn and Ah's back, just behind Rin. 'If not, I will not hesitate to kill you.'

888888888

A soft moan escaping the limp form caused Sesshomaru to glance up. It had been a few days since he'd taken Inuyasha back into his care, days that had been filled with memories, both pleasant and unpleasant. Pleasant because he'd remembered the times when Inuyasha had looked up to him and adored him. Unpleasant because such times were overshadowed by InuTaisho's presence. As much as he had tried to bury such memories, they always came back to haunt him, shoving their way to the surface and reminding him that such events were the reason behind why he was the way he was. Because of his father ripping his own innocence away from him, Sesshomaru had vowed to never let it happen to Inuyasha upon learning of the pup's birth. Shaking his head of those thoughts, Sesshomaru rose to his feet and stepped towards Inuyasha. It had been the first noise the half-breed had made since he'd taken Inuyasha with him.

'If he's getting better then I can send him on his way,' Sesshomaru told himself, trying to ruthlessly kill the feelings of protectiveness that he'd always had for his brother. 'The sooner the better.'

What happened next Sesshomaru would never forget, not for as long as he lived. His brother started to thrash in his sleep and whimper, as if trying to escape some unknown horror. But it was Inuyasha's words, his childlike tone that would freeze him to his core, and haunt him to his grave.

"No . . . Stop it . . . Leave me alone . . . stop it! Nee-chan!"

Golden eyes snapped open and Inuyasha bolted forward, a scream erupting from him . . .


	3. Segment 3

"Stopstopstopstop!" Inuyasha scrambled to get away from him, his eyes wide and filled with fear. Sesshomaru froze, his breath catching in his chest. He knew that look, having had that expression on his face once before, a long time ago. Then he shook himself of the icy feeling of fear that had started to weave its way into his belly. It couldn't have happened to Inuyasha. The hanyou had left when he'd started to reach his teens.

Before his half-brother could get too far, Sesshomaru moved to his brother's side and wrapped his arm around the trembling boy, holding him tight. He didn't care who saw them at that moment. All that mattered to him was calming Inuyasha down and finding out what was truly bothering the boy. To his surprise and dismay, the hanyou had grown warmer, the heat having become almost unbearable for the older youkai.

"Inuyasha, calm down," he murmured. "Calm down. You're safe now. It's a dream. Only a dream. Calm down. Relax."

"Sesshomaru?"

Inuyasha's chest heaved up and down as he drew in deep breath after ragged deep breath. His voice had been so tiny and filled with fear and uncertainty. The normally brash hanyou had disappeared at one point, when the strange illness had settled in. He'd gone limp the moment he'd started to wake and realize where he was at.

"Hai," he nodded. "I'm right here. You're safe now, otouto. It was just a bad dream."

"But it was so real," Inuyasha croaked out, his voice dry and cracked. "I . . . felt everything that has happening to me . . . like I always have . . . Kami, I'm so tired, aniki. I'm so tired."

"Inuyasha, what happened? What were you dreaming about?" Sesshomaru inquired quietly, a strange sense of dread mingling with the icy feeling of fear. Inuyasha's eyes started to roll back as exhaustion hit him. He shook the hanyou until his eyes fluttered back open. "What were you dreaming about?"

"I dreamt," Inuyasha took a deep breath and let it out, "I dreamt about that night . . . after Mother died . . . when you . . . you brought me to live with you . . . I . . . was sleeping . . . in the room you had given me . . ."

His brother licked his lips at that moment. It was then that Sesshomaru noted how pale the hanyou had become. Though he continued to burn, his skin had dried. All feelings intensified as his brother's eyes rolled back once more and a whimper escaped him.

"Lord Sesshomaru?"

Rin's voice tore through his thoughts, and he glanced sharply at her. The small girl stood on the opposite side of the fire, her eyes wide in concern, Jaken right behind her. He took a deep breath.

"Water. Get water. Hurry."

She nodded quickly and scurried off, Jaken trailing behind her. Sesshomaru let out a soft breath as his eyes went back to his brother. Carefully, he eased his brother down.

"Sessh . . ."

"I'm right here, Inuyasha . . . what happened the night you arrived to the palace?"

" . . . so tired . . ." Inuyasha's head rolled to the side.

Sesshomaru grasped his chin and lifted it so he could see his brother's face.

"Stay awake, Inuyasha," he commanded. "Open your eyes. Now."

Pale golden eyes opened. The heaving of his brother's chest had slowed considerably. Sesshomaru opened his mouth to say something when Inuyasha cut him off.

"I can still feel them . . . to this day, I can still feel them . . . I can remember everything about them . . . their faces . . . their scents . . . I can't forget what they did . . . I don't want to go to sleep . . . they're always there . . . they're always there . . ."

The hanyou coughed at that moment, his body jerking violently. Sesshomaru released him and waited for the spasm to pass. He didn't know why but certain things were becoming clear. Vividly clear, though he tried to reason that it wasn't possible.

'It doesn't mean anything was done to him,' a little voice argued. 'He's delirious with fever. Anything could be tormenting him.'

'But he started to change after he came to live with me,' Sesshomaru frowned. 'I know he was tormented before his mother died but he'd still been a happy child . . . like I was . . . before Father . . . the laughter left his eyes . . . I saw it then . . . I should have paid more attention . . .'

'Be sure before you start sympathizing with him,' the little voice stated, almost angrily. 'Especially if it's just the fever talking.'

'I should . . .'

Rin and Jaken returning interrupted his private argument. The child immediately walked up to them, a bamboo water pot in front of her. Sesshomaru lifted Inuyasha up once more. Without instruction, Rin pressed the pot to his brother's lips and tilted it. Inuyasha lifted himself up to the best of abilities, drinking the water greedily.

"Easy, Rin," he murmured, keeping a firm grip on his brother. She nodded once and continued to hold the container, pulling it away only when it was empty. His brother whimpered in protest but didn't ask for anymore. Instead, his eyes drooped, sleep coming to claim him once more. As the hanyou's breathing evened out and steadied, Sesshomaru lowered him to the ground, pulling the blankets up to Inuyasha's chin. The hanyou's body had gone completely limp. If it hadn't been for the sound of his shallow breathing and the frantic beating of his heart, Sesshomaru would have thought him to be dead.

"Is he going to be all right, Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin asked quietly, her eyes never leaving Inuyasha's prone form.

"I don't know," he shook his head. "I don't know."

Silence ensued after that, the only sounds were those coming from the surrounding forest and their soft breathing.

The daiyoukai kept his gaze on his brother while keeping his senses tuned in to his surroundings. Any demon would be enticed to attack them, especially now that he'd taken his brother under his care. Inuyasha had become too weak to even be able to defend himself, but Sesshomaru found that he couldn't simply just leave the hanyou, not even with the ragtag group that were his friends. The boy had become ill in such a short amount of time and it bothered Sesshomaru a great deal, though he'd never admit it.

As he watched his brother, Sesshomaru noted with a growing alarm that the water his brother had drank was rapidly leaving his body. His silvery-white hair clung to his face as did his clothing.

'He isn't going to make it if we keep delaying . . . I can smell it.'

"Rin, Jaken . . . we're leaving."

"My Lord?" Jaken gazed at him with wide eyes.

"We're leaving," he repeated, lifting his brother's limp form into his arms. 'Before it becomes too late.'


	4. Segment 4

Getting his brother to stay on Uhn and Ah's back had taken some figuring out but Sesshomaru had managed, thanks to Jaken. The imp had found some vines and suggested that they use them, without Sesshomaru even asking him and without complaint. He used a spell to strengthen them so Inuyasha wouldn't break through them as they traveled, of course, his resourcefulness surprising Sesshomaru somewhat. The taiyoukai had known the toad to be a bit of a schemer, coming up with plans that almost always worked, but this . . . this had astounded Sesshomaru.

With the enchanted vines, Rin and Jaken secured Inuyasha to Uhn and Ah's back while Sesshomaru held him in place. Once he was satisfied his brother wouldn't hit the ground and that they had a more than sufficient supply of water, they set off for his father's ancestral home.

As they walked, Sesshomaru stayed close to his brother, constantly glancing at the younger one. Except for an occasional whimper or moan, Inuyasha barely made a sound. His tongue hung partway out of his mouth, another sure sign that his brother was ill and dehydrated.

'This isn't right . . . he shouldn't be _this_ sick . . . he shouldn't be sick at all . . . his youkai blood should ensure that,' Sesshomaru frowned, brushing his hand against his brother's burning cheek. Then another thought struck him. 'Unless it's his youkai blood that's making him sick.'

It wasn't unheard of, now that he remembered. He, too, had been ill like this once, just after his father had died. There had been a feeling of injustice at that time, especially after Izayoi's confession to him. Sesshomaru remembered as much.

'And it had been the knowledge that Inuyasha was safe from him that saved me,' he thought morosely. 'Now, it's happening to Inuyasha . . . I've failed him somehow. But how? How did this happen?'

A groan coming from Inuyasha caught his attention and his eyes snapped back to the half-demon. His brother had started to sit up a little more, his arms wobbly and threatening to give out. Glazed amber eyes stared around in confusion.

"What's going on?" Inuyasha croaked out, one hand rubbing his chest.

"I'm taking you home," Sesshomaru replied. "You're ill and I can't take care of you without assistance."

"Home? You're taking me back to Edo?" the hanyou blinked.

"No," he shook his head. "I'm not taking you back to Edo. I'm taking you back to the palace."

"What?" Inuyasha's eyes widened, and fear spiked the air. Instantly, he started squirming to get away. Sesshomaru grabbed him. The vines were meant to keep Inuyasha in place while he slept. They weren't meant to take any sort of punishment from someone who was awake. "No . . . I can't go back . . . I can't . . ."

"You have no choice, little brother. I cannot care for you out in the wild. Not while you're ill."

"You don't understand," Inuyasha stated, still struggling. "I can't go back . . . They're going to be there . . . they're always there . . . they'll hurt me . . . I can't . . ."

"Inuyasha," Sesshomaru growled in warning. "You're going back and that's final."

Pain filled Inuyasha's eyes as he stared, stunned, at him. Sesshomaru stared back, his face impassive. He wasn't going to give in. It was time Inuyasha stopped acting like a child.

"Why do you hate me so much?"

The question, and Inuyasha's hurt expression, took him by surprise, to say the least. He found himself at a loss of words. There wasn't anything he _could_ say. So many years of fighting and trading insults had done an irreparable amount of damage to both of them. Silence fell over them as every step they took brought them closer to their childhood home. Then a strange rumbling noise interrupted the strained quietness and Sesshomaru found himself smiling, if only a little bit. His golden gaze trailed to the young girl that had traipsed ahead, her cheeks tinged pink. She'd been the distraction he needed, if only for a second or two, to collect his thoughts.

"Jaken . . ."

"Yes, milord?"

"Take Rin to get some food."

"Yes, milord," the toad murmured, bowing slightly. For once, his retainer complied without complaint or protest. Sesshomaru watched them and waited until they were out of sight and earshot before looking at his brother.

"I could ask you the same thing, Inuyasha. Why do _you_ hate _me_ so much?"

The hanyou's lower lip trembled, his body too dried out for tears.

"Because . . . because you let them hurt me," he managed to choke out. "You . . . you didn't stop them . . . you did nothing to help me . . ."

Sesshomaru cupped his cheek, knowing he had only gained this tiny victory over Inuyasha because of his fever. His own expression had become mournful. He knew that his brother wouldn't believe, not after so many years of believing otherwise, but he had to try.

"I didn't know, Inuyasha . . . otherwise, I would have . . . I'd have killed whoever for touching you like that . . ."

"No . . . you wouldn't have," Inuyasha whispered. "They told me . . . you knew . . . that you didn't care . . . that you said the only thing I wasn't good for anything else . . ."

"That was a lie," Sesshomaru growled. "I never would have said that about anyone. Especially you. I would have _never_ let that happen to you. _Ever_."

Indeed, how this had happened still eluded Sesshomaru. Inuyasha had showed no physical signs of either being molested or raped . . . except his change in attitude. And he was very certain that he would have heard Inuyasha screaming, despite how soundly he'd been sleeping . . .

"Kami," he breathed, his entire body going cold. His hand dropped, shock washing over. He'd been _sleeping_ while his brother had been assaulted. Somehow, whoever had gotten to Inuyasha had somehow managed to ensure that he wouldn't know. "That's . . . that's how come . . . I never knew . . ."

"How could you have not known, Sesshomaru? They violated me every single night until I ran away . . . Tell me why should I believe that you had nothing to do with it?"

Sesshomaru's raised his head so that his eyes met Inuyasha's, parts of his icy facade melting.

"Because I went through the same thing as you did . . . Father was my assailant."


	5. Segment 5

"Father . . . did that to you?" Inuyasha whispered, his eyes wide.

"Hai," Sesshomaru nodded solemnly. "I know exactly what you're going through. It was the one thing I had wanted to protect you from."

"But you didn't protect me!"

"Shhh . . . I know. I'm sorry that I failed you, Inuyasha. I truly am."

He pulled his younger brother to him. The boy still felt as if he'd been set on fire but not nearly as bad as before. His secret was starting to come out. Still, something about his confession nagged at the back of Sesshomaru's mind.

'Why now? This should have happened sooner . . .'

"Inuyasha . . ."

"So tired," came the murmur. "Why am I so tired?"

"You are ill, otouto," Sesshomaru replied. "That's why."

"Oh."

"Inuyasha?"

"What?"

Sesshomaru hesitated for a moment. The last thing he wanted, and the last thing Inuyasha needed, was to upset the hanyou. Still, he had to know.

"Did . . . did you . . . how come you haven't spoken of this before?"

A ragged sigh escaped his brother.

"Because . . . I just wanted to forget . . . I wanted to pretend that it never happened . . . I guess I just forgot after a while . . ." Inuyasha answered, his tone become dull and listless.

"You forgot?"

"Yeah," the half-demon nodded. "Didn't want to remember . . . gave me nightmares. Still does."

'I can imagine so.'

"And what triggered the memories to come back?"

"Not sure," Inuyasha yawned. "Maybe after Kagome sat me . . . Don't remember."

"Why did Kagome sit you?"

"Because . . . that stupid wolf . . ."

Inuyasha slumped against him at that moment, his breathing slow and steady. Carefully, Sesshomaru guided the half-demon back over so he was resting more comfortably, nestled between Uhn and Ah's heads.

'There's more to what happened, to why he's remembered after so many years of keeping it locked away. This isn't something he'd just remember after being . . . sat once by that miko.'

Sesshomaru brushed away some stray locks of Inuyasha's hair as he waited for Rin and Jaken to return.

'Don't worry, little brother. After we get to the castle, I'll find out who did this to you. And they shall pay. By both our hands.'


	6. Segment 6

"Hiraikotsu!"

Sesshomaru kept his features calm and collected as he dodged the large bone boomerang that had been hurled at him. Inuyasha's traveling companions apparently had been searching for the hanyou and did not appear to be too happy that he, Sesshomaru, had his sibling in his care. And not having much of a sense of smell, they'd had a few wolves lead them to him and his brother.

'I should have expected this,' he thought with a growl as he dodged the recoil from the boomerang and an arrow that had been aimed at him. 'Dammit I should have just left him where he was at.'

'Like you would have done that.'

The nagging, annoying little voice was back. Granted, it had a point but Sesshomaru did not have the time nor the luxury to have any arguments with it. His brother's friends were attacking and he had to remain on the defensive. Inuyasha's life depended upon him keeping his cool.

'And not killing the fools,' it reminded him.

'Hush. I must concentrate.'

The taijiya caught her weapon at the same time the miko notched another arrow in her bow. Two of the wolves were inching towards his wards and his servant. Sesshomaru glanced at them from the corner of his eye. When they noticed him watching them, they immediately stopped in their tracks. Fear emanated from the two. It had an intoxicating feel to it and Sesshomaru couldn't help but show a hint of fang. Immediately, the two grabbed a hold of each other and their fear spiked. A growl came from the direction of the humans, causing the miko and the taijiya to pause for a moment.

"Are you threatening my men?"

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at the dark-haired wolf.

"They are nearing what is mine," he stated succinctly. "They get any closer and I will kill them."

"Since when did you consider Inuyasha yours?" the miko spat. "Every time you see him you try to kill him. And for that matter, since when did you have a human girl traveling with you?"

"Kagome . . ."

"I do not answer to the likes of you," Sesshomaru replied coldly, turning around. He had said enough and wasted too much time. "What I do and who I travel with is my business. Not yours."

He approached Uhn and Ah, and grabbed the dragonet's reigns. Sesshomaru quickly glanced at his brother, thankfully noting the hanyou had not been disturbed by the humans' attack. Inuyasha continued to sleep, the fever taking a very heavy toll on him. His cheekbones had become pronounced, his eyes sunken. Even his breathing had become shallow and quick. Though Inuyasha's skin didn't glisten from the fever anymore, Sesshomaru still smelled it. It clung to the hanyou like a cloak.

'I need to get him back to the palace . . . and soon.'

Before they could say or do anything more, Sesshomaru began to walk.

"Wait! Where are you going?"

"Again, it is none of your concern, little miko. Where I go is my business."

"And what about Inuyasha?" the monk inquired. From the sounds of it, the group had started to follow him.

"Yeah!" the miko chimed in. "He's sick! He needs to go back to the village . . ."

Sesshomaru paused, his golden eyes flashing. As if he didn't know that his brother was ill. If anything, he knew far better what ailed his sibling than what the humans did. There was no way that they'd be able to help Inuyasha. He'd die before they figured out what was wrong.

"Do not tell me what he needs, little miko," Sesshomaru hissed. "I know far better than you of what ails him. He goes where I go. This Sesshomaru has spoken."

Without waiting for a reply and not really wanting to waste anymore time, Sesshomaru resumed his trek. As he did so, he cast a slightly irritated yet subtle glance at his brother as he fought back a sigh and the urge to kill. The humans and the wolves were following them. Their scents gave them away.

'How do you manage being around these humans, otouto? They must be more than a handful to protect and to keep in line. How do you do it?'

He made a mental note to ask Inuyasha later, when he wasn't quite so ill.


	7. Segment 7

"Why did you . . . 'sit' Inuyasha, little miko?"

Sesshomaru's golden gaze traveled to the strangely dressed girl as she blinked, confusion lighting her face.

"Huh?"

He fought back a sigh. Humans could be dense at times. Too dense. He often wondered how they survived.

"Inuyasha claims that you . . . 'sat' him . . . just before he became ill . . . and it had to with 'that stupid wolf,' as he put it. Why?"

A low growl caught his attention before she could respond. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes and cast his sharp gaze at the wolf who had interrupted his conversation with the girl. Something about the wolf himself was familiar, as if he'd met him somewhere before . . . not counting the time said wolf had saved his young ward. No, it was something else. Something from the past.

'Doesn't matter,' he thought, growling in warning himself. 'Not now.'

The wolf obviously took his growl as a challenge for he stopped and bared his fangs even more, his blue eyes flashing ice.

"Are you threatening me?"

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at him. Either the wolf was incredibly dense . . . or he was paranoid. However, it mattered not to Sesshomaru. The wolf was on _his_ lands. Respect was due.

"Might I remind you that you are on _my_ lands and traveling in _my_ presence?" the daiyoukai stated coldly. "If you do not hold your tongue, I will be forced to remove it. Painfully. A display of respect is in order." Having said that, he turned his attention back to the strangely dressed miko. "I'll ask you again. Why did you 'sit' Inuyasha?"

A scowl passed over the girl's features and she folded her arms in defiance.

"I don't see how it's any of your business," she spat. "Since when were you ever concerned about Inuyasha anyway?"

Sesshomaru resisted the urge to vaporize her where she stood. He narrowed his eyes, his lips drawn into a thin line. Before anyone could register what had happened, Sesshomaru stood in front of the miko, his hand grasping her chin in a bruising manner.

"Let Kagome go!" the wolf hollered, but Sesshomaru paid no attention to him. He kept his eyes solely on the girl.

"As I suggested to the wolf, a display of respect is in order. Now answer my question."

"Because he was starting a fight with Kouga," she blurted out, her eyes wide.

"So? That is no reason to sit him."

"Forgive me for saying so, Lord Sesshomaru," the houshi interjected, "but there are times it is necessary for Inuyasha to be sat, especially when he's fighting with Kouga."

"How so?"

Already, irritation flowed through him. While he knew for a fact that Inuyasha was often brash and arrogant and would pick a fight with just about anybody, the boy had also spent a great portion of his life living as an outcast. In their society, it was kill or be killed. If the wolf was sniffing around what Inuyasha deemed to be his then his brother had the right to defend it, jealously if need be.

"Because it's ridiculous!" the miko exclaimed. "Kouga's a friend and an ally! We can't afford to lose any time in our search for Naraku!"

For some reason, the miko's words didn't sit right with Sesshomaru. They felt . . . off somehow, though he didn't know how or why. Dismissing it for the moment, he focused his gaze on the miko once more.

"And what was the reason for _this_ particular fight with the wolf?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "I wasn't there when it started."

Barely containing his growl, Sesshomaru then narrowed his eyes at the wolf who had gotten his brother "sat," as the ningens had so eloquently put it.

"What was the reason for this fight?"

The wolf youkai narrowed his eyes at him, a scowl lighting his features.

"Feh, like I know what goes through Mutt-face's head all the time. I just know he was acting crazy and took a swipe at me before I could even say anything to him." Then the wolf's expression became somewhat thoughtful and he frowned. "Though, come to think of it, he wasn't acting like himself, either. His eyes were a bit glazed over . . . like he was sick or something."

He then tilted his head, his gaze landing on the unconscious hanyou, a motion Sesshomaru had seen only once before in all of his long years. It was in that moment that he _knew_. He _knew_ why the wolf had seemed so familiar to him yet hadn't. It was all in the eyes. The wolf's eyes lacked something that his father's had contained when looking at Inuyasha . . . and, with a sick stomach, Sesshomaru knew what it was. He also knew who one of his brother's assailants had been and why his brother had attacked the wolf that last time, for the similarities were far too striking.

The former leader of the wolf tribe had raped his brother when he was a child.


	8. Segment 8

Sesshomaru gazed at his brother as he pulled a blanket up over the boy's shoulders. They'd made it to the castle in record time after his revelation about the wolf. As soon as they'd arrived, he had sent for Shinsei, the palace healer. Inuyasha's fever needed to be kept under control and Sesshomaru longed to take care for the hanyou himself. However, given his revelation had sparked more questions in him, he knew that it would not be possible. At least, not yet. And Shinsei was the only one of his servants whom he could trust with Inuyasha. The _only_ one.

"You sent for me, my Lord?"

The daiyoukai blinked as a smooth, calm voice interrupted his thoughts then raised his eyes to see the healer, a tall inuyoukai with a single, silver stripe on his right cheek, standing in the door to his brother's room.

"Hai," Sesshomaru nodded. "I need for you to look over Inuyasha while I take care of a few things. He is . . . ill . . ."

"Ill?"

"Hai. Ill. Like I was after Father died . . ."

"I see . . . I take it you do not wish for me to leave his side, ne?"

"Hai."

"Very well then. Have some servants bring me some fresh linens and cool water, my Lord. I will do my best to tend to the boy."

Sesshomaru rose to his feet as Shinsei crossed the distance between them. The healer gave him a quick bow before kneeling next to his feverish brother. Out of everyone who stayed in the palace and worked for, Shinsei was the only one who could give him an order like that. The healer had lived a very long time, having served his father and grandfather before him. He was one of a very select few that Sesshomaru knew he could not afford to lose.

Once he was sure that his brother was being tended to, Sesshomaru exited the room and headed for where he had sent the ningens and the wolves. He had questions to which they had the answers to, especially the dark-haired wolf, the one called Kouga.

A few things were now beginning to make sense to Sesshomaru. He had already figured out why Inuyasha had gone from being a happy and playful child to the angry and frustrated youth he was now. From there, it really had not taken that long to figure out who one of the boy's assailants had been. The former wolf tribe leader had spent a great deal of time in his home and had often been alone with Inuyasha. Sesshomaru could see that now. All he needed to figure out now was who else had destroyed that innocent part of his brother and who had given them access to the boy.

'And when I do . . .'

His eyes narrowed as he thought of what he'd do to those persons, if they still lived. Then he blinked once more and shook his head.

'No. Punishment isn't mine to give. If Inuyasha is to recover, he has to be the one to confront them. Not me. But he won't be alone.'

Sesshomaru stepped into the old war room, having strode as quickly as he could to get there. Instantly, the small group snapped their attention to him and rose to their feet. The miko was the first to speak.

"Where's Inuyasha? Is he all right?"

"Where Inuyasha is right this moment is none of your concern," Sesshomaru replied evenly, coldly. "As for his health, there has been no change."

"But he . . ."

"My healer is tending to him, little miko. He will be all right."

"But I . . ."

"Will stay right here until I get the answers that I require," he responded coldly. "And, until Inuyasha is better, you will not be allowed near him. That is this Sesshomaru's final decision."

"So what's wrong with Mutt-face anyway?"

Sesshomaru couldn't help the low growl emanated from the back of his throat at that insult. Now that he understood his brother a little better, _no one_ had the right to insult the boy like that. No one. Inuyasha had gone through enough without anyone else treating him like that.

"You, wolf," Sesshomaru breathed, "will show Inuyasha the proper respect due to a son of the Inu no Taisho or I will rip your throat out. Do I make myself clear?"

The entire room went silent at that, the wolf's eyes going wide. All anyone could do was stare at him. They couldn't stop him from carrying out his threat, and they knew it. Then, very slowly, the wolf nodded.

"Hai. Very clear."

"Good . . . now . . . where is your father?"

"My father?"

"Yes," Sesshomaru nodded. "Your father. I wish to . . . have a discussion with him."

"You can't," the wolf shook his head. "He died a long time ago."

"He's dead?" Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at him. "How did he die?"

"Yes," came the confirmation. "He's dead. I killed him."


	9. Segment 9

"Your father is dead?" Sesshomaru inquired, folding his arms.

"Hai," the wolf nodded. "He is . . ."

"And how did he die?"

"Why are you asking me this?" the wolf scowled at him. "He's dead. That's all there is to it."

"No, there isn't," Sesshomaru shook his head. "There is more to it than what you realize. Now tell me. How did your father die?"

Blue eyes narrowed at him and, for a moment, neither of them spoke. The ningens fidgeted in the silence but Sesshomaru paid them no heed. Right now, they were simply there. Nothing more. Nothing less. What they didn't know wouldn't hurt them.

Then the wolf's expression softened, as if he suddenly understood something. He let out a quiet sigh.

"If I tell you, will you explain to me why it's so important for you to know?" he inquired.

"Perhaps," Sesshomaru answered.

"Perhaps?" the wolf raised an eyebrow at him.

"If your answer is satisfactory, I may . . ."

"Just not in front of the humans?"

Sesshomaru nodded at that. He was certain the last thing his brother wanted from them was any more sympathy when it came to his past. Besides, it wasn't Sesshomaru's place to tell them. It was Inuyasha's, and he really wasn't about to infringe upon territory that could end up costing him another limb.

"I can understand that then . . . Very well. I killed him. In self-defense," the wolf replied.

"In self-defense?"

"Hai. Self-defense. If I hadn't, he would have killed me, his own son, just for the sake of keeping his position as the Alpha of our tribe. He wasn't fit to lead anymore. He was allowing his own personal . . . needs to get in the way"

Something about the wolf's explanation seemed weak, flimsy even, to Sesshomaru. It sounded like it had been rehearsed, as if . . .

'As if that's what he's been trying to tell himself . . .'

"I see . . ."

Sesshomaru turned his gaze to the ningens. He found the answer to be somewhat satisfactory and a deal was a deal.

"There is a servant standing outside, ready to take you to some private chambers. I expect that you will be bathed and properly dressed for the evening meal. That will be all."

"That's it?" the miko's eyes widened. "What about Inuyasha? When can we see him?"

"You can see him when he's feeling better and if he so chooses to see you. Right now, he is resting. You are not to disturb him. Do I make myself clear?"

"But . . ."

"It's all right, Kagome," the wolf interjected. "Inuyasha's going to be safe here. Safer than what he could be anywhere else. Please go with the servant. There's something Sesshomaru and I need to . . . discuss."

She hesitated once more then slowly nodded, seeing that the wolf had taken his side. The servant stepped inside then led the ningens, the kitsune, the fire-neko, and the other members of the wolf tribe out of the conference room.

When they were alone and the humans were out of range, the two males locked gazes. The wolf was the first one to speak.

"My father attacked Inuyasha . . . didn't he?"

"Hai," Sesshomaru nodded. "I believe so."

"That would explain why he acted the way he did that last time we crossed paths," the wolf mused, rubbing his chin, "and why he's so sick . . . but why now? Why not after it had happened?"

"He locked the memories away . . . he didn't want to remember . . ."

"I can't say that I blame him," came the sigh. "If I'd have known that . . ."

"You'd have been jealous over the attention your father gave him rather than giving it to you," Sesshomaru replied knowingly. "Especially since he's a half-breed."

The wolf paled at Sesshomaru's statement, and his eyes widened. However, before he could say anything more, a blood-curdling scream echoed throughout the castle . . .


	10. Segment 10

Blood covered the room. In one corner sat Shinsei, the healer's eyes wide with disbelief. In another corner huddled Inuyasha, blood covering the boy's claws and face.

And in the center of the room lay one of the servants. Dead.

His throat had been slashed to ribbons but that, as far as Sesshomaru could tell, was only minor damage. The rest of his body . . .

The rest of his body was sick to even look at. Deep gouges ran along the male's abdomen and down to his groin region. It also appeared that his heart had been ripped out. Sesshomaru felt nauseated just looking at the servant's body.

"What the hell happened in here?" Kouga breathed from behind him.

"Isn't it obvious? My brother got a hold of the servant."

"I see that," came the retort. "The thing is . . ."

"The servant was the one."

Sesshomaru turned his attention to Shinsei the moment the healer had spoken, one eyebrow raised in question. The servant was the one?

'What? What did this servant do?'

'What do you think the servant did,' a little voice whispered. 'He's the one who allowed the wolf's father and whoever else near Inuyasha. Look at him. You'll see.'

Frowning in annoyance, he quickly turned his gaze from the healer back to Inuyasha then to the servant. As he did so, he noticed what he had not before when he first stepped into the room. The wild-eyed look Inuyasha bore, the shocked healer, the type of injuries the dead servant possessed, the somewhat damaged sleeve to Inuyasha's haori . . . and the trembling form of his brother.

'So he's extracted part of his revenge. Good.'

A closer inspection, however, told him that his brother needed more than revenge. The boy was on the verge of hysterics, something unusual for him. Inuyasha needed to calm down and soon, before another drastic event took place. Carefully, he crept towards Inuyasha, glancing at Shinsei one more time.

"Inuyasha . . ."

At first, the hanyou paid no attention to him. Instead, he sat there, with his back against the wall and rubbing his hands together in a nervous fashion.

"Inuyasha . . ."

Again, no reply from the boy. For a moment, Sesshomaru believed the boy to be in too much shock to even form a reply. He'd opened his mouth to say his brother's name once more when Inuyasha finally spoke up.

"He . . . came after me again . . . he's . . ."

"He's dead," Sesshomaru affirmed, kneeling in front of his brother.

"I didn't mean to . . . he just . . . I . . ."

By now, Inuyasha's shock had worn off some. Pain afflicted his golden eyes as he began to babble about things that were irrelevant. Tentatively, Sesshomaru reached over and grasped Inuyasha by his arms. When the boy didn't react violently to him, he pulled the hanyou up. He knew he had to get Inuyasha out of the room and somewhere else, so the boy wouldn't have to see the servant's dead body and be forced to relive those horrific events from long ago.

As he led his half-sibling out of the room, Sesshomaru made sure that Inuyasha could not see the servant or the damage that had been done. The last thing he wanted was for Inuyasha to feel guilty for killing someone who had harmed him.

'His fever will clear up some . . . but there are more who need to be punished. And I won't rest until they are. They shall pay for the insult to me, my brother, and my family. This Sesshomaru swears it.'

**************

Added March 30, 2009.

There's something about this story that I need to address.

It _is_ completed, kids. If it was not complete, it would be listed in my dockets section on my bio page. Please do not leave reviews begging me to update it. It's not going to happen. The story has ended the way I wanted it to and I'm happy with how it ended. I know you guys love it. I can tell by the number of reviews it's received and the number of people who have put it on their list of favourites.

Now, many of you may disagree with me that it's not completed, that more could be done. I might be inclined to agree _if_ I had intended to go further than what I did. I did not intend to go further, however. That leaves me satisfied with the end results.

Which leads me to this: many of you claim it's not completed. That more can and should be done. My question to you is: Why don't you write a piece inspired by the ending of this story? I'm not saying it a snotty tone or anything. I'm very serious about this. Many of you have accounts. Some of you are authors as well. You may not feel you can write something to do this piece justice, but how will you know if you don't try?

With all of that said, I appreciate how much everyone has enjoyed this story. I truly do. However, if people keep insisting that I update a story I've listed as complete and that I'm happy with how it's ended, I will delete it. This is the only warning I'm going to give, too. No amount of begging will get me to change my mind, either, so please don't even try.

If you wish to respond to this note, please use the send a private message feature, and I will reply accordingly. Again, this message will be deleted within one day so trying to reply will be futile.

Thank you for reading this story, and have a wonderful day.


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